Valentine’s Day may be for lovers, but Galentine’s Day is for besties and Grundy County is the place to celebrate with your girl tribe.

Both the Morris Restaurant and Retail Association and the Coalers Business Alliance have planned great events for the weekend before the big Feb. 14 holiday. On Friday, Feb. 6 the CBA is hosting its annual Galentine’s Day event from 3-7 p.m. in the Coal City and Diamond area. On Saturday, Feb. 7 the MRRA is hosting a Sip & Shop in downtown Morris from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

These events are a testament to our local retailers keeping on trend and offering local experience. Stores will offer tastings while you shop and activities and restaurants will hold specials fitting for the gals get together.

For the CBA Feb. 6 event anyone who shops and eats in participating locations wearing pink or red will receive a raffle ticket. They then fill it out and take it to the Coal City Public Library District by 4 p.m. Saturday and drop their ticket in prize buckets for a chance to win. More than a dozen prizes will be available just for shopping local. Winners will be called the following week to pick up prizes.

Coal City: Coal City Public Library at 85 N. Garfield St., Babe’s Tap & Grill at 755 S. Broadway St., Mending Hearts Therapy at695 S. Broadway St., Alyssa Wendler’s Empowered Beauty Studio at 355 S. Broadway St., The QUEEN BEES at 345 S. Broadway St., Sweet Treats & Tasty Eats at 301 S. Broadway St., The Cove at 410 N. Broadway St., and The Clubhouse at 435 W Division St.

Diamond: Sunshine Garden Center at 2850 E. Division St., Creative Treasures & More at 2585 E. Division St., at Midland States Bank - 1275 E. Division St. and Hexagon Real Estate at 2625 E. Division St. In Carbon Hill Mustachio’s at 785 3rd St. is participating and Countryside Village at 1540 N Division St. in Diamond. Hours may vary based on business.

In downtown Morris Feb. 7 stores will have specials drinks for sipping and in-store specials throughout the whole downtown area from Gigi’s on Washington Street to Birdie’s Flowers on the 400 block of Liberty St.

Winter is always a hard season for small businesses so let’s gather our besties and make a weekend of it celebrating each other and supporting our Grundy County businesses.

Follow both the CBA and MRRA events on Facebook for more details.

Don’t forget that Chamber Gift Certificate you got for Christmas – what a perfect time to use it at Chamber member businesses. You can find that list at grundychamber.com under the Business Directory.

Check out these Grundy County Chamber of Commerce & Industry events for you to network and meet your next customer.

Coffee & Company with the Grundy County Historical Society – 8-9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18. Free to attend.

Chamber & GEDC Annual Dinner – Wednesday, March 4. Register at grundychamber.com.

Save the dates:

Family Fest in Minooka – Saturday, April 11

Minooka State of the Village Address – Tuesday, April 14